Analysis of To Mary, On Receiving Her Picture
George Gordon Lord Byron 1788 (London) – 1824 (Missolonghi, Aetolia)
This faint resemblance of thy charms,
(Though strong as mortal art could give,)
My constant heart of fear disarms,
Revives my hopes, and bids me live.
Here, I can trace the locks of gold
Which round thy snowy forehead wave;
The cheeks which sprung from Beauty's mould,
The lips, which made me Beauty's slave.
Here I can trace---ah, no! that eye,
Whose azure floats in liquid fire,
Must all the painter's art defy,
And bid him from the task retire.
Here, I behold its beauteous hue;
But where's the beam so sweetly straying,
Which gave a lustre to its blue,
Like Luna o'er the ocean playing?
Sweet copy! far more dear to me,
Lifeless, unfeeling as thou art,
Than all the living forms could be,
Save her who plac'd thee next my heart.
She plac'd it, sad, with needless fear,
Lest time might shake my wavering soul,
Unconscious that her image there
Held every sense in fast control.
Thro' hours, thro' years, thro' time, 'twill cheer---
My hope, in gloomy moments, raise;
In life's last conflict 'twill appear,
And meet my fond, expiring gaze.
Scheme | AXAX BCBC DXDX EFEF GHGH IJXJ IKIK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (71%) |
Metre | 11010111 11110111 1101111 01110111 11110111 11110101 0111111 0111111 11111111 110101010 11010101 01110101 1101111 110111010 11010111 1101001010 11011111 10010111 11010111 10111111 11111101 111111001 1010101 110010101 110111111 11010101 01110101 01110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,063 |
Words | 187 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 28 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 114 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 26 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 26, 2023
- 58 sec read
- 127 Views
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"To Mary, On Receiving Her Picture" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/15283/to-mary%2C-on-receiving-her-picture>.
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